The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1887-01-13
SURVE


zen to the Secretary of the Interior,
by the Board of County Commission
ers, at its first meeting on the Sd in
slant, is as follows:
We, the County Commissioners Of Bottin.
eau County, Dakota, hereby wish to cal
-four attention to the question of surveys in
this county.
When the present government came
into office, there were three townships sur.
Feyed in this county which have not ye>
been opened for entry, viz: T.. l57 R. rs
ind rs. 1859 r. rs and II, and the survey o.
i've additional towns had been contracted
For or let by the Surveyor General, which
have not been surveyed.
We do not feel that the reasons assigned
ly the Commissioner Of The General Lane
Office are satisfactory, as the government
can have no idea of restoring these lands tc
fhc Chippewa Indians, on the ground tina
the title to sold lands has not yet been ex.
tinguished.
We wish to state that we feel a great in.
Justice has been done to our county in sus.
pending surveys. It has the effect of retard.
ing Immigration and causing the present
,csidents and pioneer settlers of this county
f. suffer under heavy burdens in bearing
fhe expenses Of county and school taxes
others are also suffering for want of edu.
f~iitional advantages for their children, ow
ing to the reluctance Of people to going on
Hnsurveyed lands.
There is almost no surveyed land in the
county desirable for settlement. We are
"~axious to Sc our county, rapidly, develop
dud fill UP with an Industrious and intelli.
gent population, so that settlers can. &C.
duire title in a reasonable time. We know
that our population will not increase al
rapidly as it should, without the land being
Surveyed and until title can be acquired
lands are not subject to taxation; conse
duently the burdens fall uhjust1y and heav.
ify ON the pioneers who. have, suffered the
greatest %privations and hardships in doing
their pioneer work.
The st. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba
railway have graded q line through par
Il our county and the iron will be laid early
in the spring of 1887 and in consequence
we should receive a large immigration.
We therefore respectfully ask your con
alteration of our necessities, and pray tina,
our county may be surveyed, or as much az
possible early in 1887.
EZRA TURNER, Chairman.
.. Louis BRuNELLE,
Signed LEVI P. MELLON,
JOHN A.. DAVIS
RoDER1CK MCRAE.
Dated, Bottineau, D. r., January, 1887.
To the foregoing petition we desire
to add a few facts concerning the
growth Of the county in respect to it,
population, the amount ofland taken
up by actual settlers, and the amount
available for the purposes Of taxation:
with a view to showing tie necessity
for relief in hat direction only, which
al best subserve the interests of the
PEOPLE Of the county, in the distribu
ton. Of its burdens, by the extension
and opening up Of facilities and op
%ljbrtunities for the intending settler
Bottineau County was first settled
ia 1882. It was organized in July
1884; the following November, thu
vote cast for Delegate in. Congress wa.
81. In June, 1885, ali enumeration
Of its population was made by author
fty Of the legislature and act of Con
! gress, which showed s1Ss inhabitants
n the county. At the election o.
November 1886, the. vote on Delegate
to Congress was. Az. The; rsatiip, Q;
tptea to the population as figured out
By Gov. Pierce in his first annual. re
pprt, IS to 4.82, for the territory
bqt calling it 40, it gives Bottineat
county to-day q population Of 1900
On increase Of nearly $50 per cent il
17 months d q little less than a hind
fsd per cent per daaam. and this with
ont any railroad d any large towns
all actual bona fde farmers. 81, !,
There are 35 townships in the coun
. y. and 5 fractions, cofitainings884 O, Oo(
asres, Of which aboilt 81, 900 are i
Turtle Mountains. The number q
soIgps surveyed and II tie market
containing, exclusive !. selkeol sec